8th graders were able to take advantage of some incredibly sunny and warm weather in late October and built their own solar ovens in which they cooked some S’mores in! Lately, 8th grade has been studying physics and the various types of energy that are constantly in action on our planet. In this activity, students constructed a solar oven using cardboard, aluminum foil, black gorilla tape, masking tape, Saran Wrap and a wooden stake. Students needed to make sure their designs captured the electromagnetic rays from the sun and deflected them into the oven chamber where it would be transformed into thermal energy, thus cooking the S’mores. The aluminum foil was the deflector, while the black gorilla tape and Saran Wrap were the insulators. While the S’mores were cooking the students had a set of lab questions to answer in regards to energy transfer and energy transformation. By the end of the class, everyone had a clearer understanding of electromagnetic energy, thermal energy, energy transfer and energy transformation. Everyone was even able to enjoy a delicious treat for all of their hard work at the end of the lab!